Acts 16:25-34 Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening. Suddenly, there was a massive earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors immediately flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off! The jailer woke up to see the prison doors wide open. He assumed the prisoners had escaped, so he drew his sword to kill himself. But Paul shouted to him, "Stop! don't kill yourself! We are all here!"
The jailer called for lights and ran to the dungeon and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. The he brought them out and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, along with everyone in your household." And they shared the word of the Lord with him and with all who lived in his household." And they shard the word of the Lord with him and with all who lived in his household. Even at that hour of the night, the jailer cared for them and washed their wounds. The he and everyone in his household were immediately baptized. He brought them into his house and set a meal before them, and he and his entire household rejoiced because they all believed in God.
My Thoughts
Paul and Silas were beaten and thrown into jail unjustly. The very guard that was later saved treated them cruelly. Then they had a chance to escape, which was wrong. Even thought they had been badly treated and thrown into jail unjustly they still did the right thing. They new that escaping would cause the jailer to be killed. They knew that it was wrong for prisoners to escape. They had the perfect opportunity to run, but they didn't.
Looked what happened because Paul and Silas did the right thing... a whole family was saved!! Because Paul and Silas had walked the walk even in their pain and suffering by singing hymns to God, and because they had followed the rules even when others did not... a family was saved!!
What this story teaches me is that doing the right thing is never in vain, even if I don't see the results. Doing the right thing no matter what somebody else has done to me can be my greatest witness. Doing the right thing can change a person, who changes their family...then each person in that family will go out and choose to do the right thing. My actions no matter how small they might seem, no matter how somebody else has treated me, must be doing the right thing.
As I learn and grow in God I am learning that being a witness is a lot more than telling people how to be saved... it is living my life in a way that makes me a "go to" person because I will choose to do the right thing. When I do this the opportunity to share what God had done in my life will just happen. I won't have a script to follow...I will have my own story to tell...and that is so much more powerful!
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